The present invention relates to an automated logistics process, whereby a computerized relationship is established between the Logistics Support Analysis Record (LSAR) database and the released engineering drawing database.
The Department of Defense (DoD) publishes Military Standards ("MIL-STDs") as a means of standardizing the way, means, and manner of doing business. When doing business with DoD, any MIL-STDs referring to that type of business must be adhered to.
The U.S. government has established a relational database containing information relating to various military logistical matters. This is known as the MIL-STD-1388-2B Logistical Support Analysis Record (LSAR) database. MIL-STD-1388-2B establishes a standard medium to systematically record, store, process and report data gathered during the logistics and engineering front-end analysis process. This data is required by the elements of support to develop their logistics supportability products. The MIL-STD defines a file format which permits orderly and cost-effective input, storage, analysis, and retrieval of logistical support analysis (LSA) data and LSA-related information.
Vendors who wish to provide computer tracking of their products are required to comply with MIL-STD-1388-2B in the construction of their databases. Conventionally, these databases have been used as repositories for engineering notes for particular products and services. Thus, for example, a vendor of an airborne missile may provide a database in which are stored various engineering notes regarding the maintenance, installation and removal procedures for handling and maintaining the missile.
The U.S. government typically requires vendors to provide standard technical publications and other logistic documents in support of Department of Defense products, including Technical Publications, Technical Manuals and the like. Such documents are typically required to comply with particular military standards, such as MIL-M-38784 and MIL-M-81927. MIL-M-38784 is the most commonly used general style and format requirement for preparation of manuscripts and reproducible copy for standard technical manuals and changes thereto. MIL-M-81927 is the general style and format requirement for the preparation of technical manuals to the Work Package (WP) concept. The WP manual is specifically designed to respond to work tasks, i.e., the complete set of instructions and pertinent information for a given work task is assembled into a single stand-alone work package. The useability of a WP is the result of applying logical organization to improve access to technical information.
Presently, the Responsible Support Engineer (RSE) researches the engineering to perform Logistics Support Analysis functions (LSA). The identified engineering is often documented in personal files (if documented at all), and these files are often misplaced, misfiled, or simply lost. This research is often duplicated by other RSEs. A centralized repository for this information does not currently exist and the current process is not computerized; it is manual and labor intensive.